Re: East Timor was Re: "They found absolutely nothing"

[<Borba100@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

In a message dated 10/14/1999 8:37:36 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
glparramatta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

<< Are you saying that the Timorese
 liberation movement is lying? That it is in league with Australian
 imperialism to mislead the world about what was going on in ET?>>

MS Arnoni, who edited  THE MINORITY OF ONE, a radical peace publication I
worked for in '62 called the above type of statement "the Prophylactic
Argument" because it prevents conception.  One is supposed to back down in
the face of a blunt, p[erhaps exaggerated statement of what one basically
thinks.  One is supposed to say, "heavens no, they would never lie."

1) The same papers that have sensationally plastered wild tales of one-sided
"ANTI-independence" violence on page one NEVER reported a word when Indonesia
originally seized East Timor.  But now they talk in thousands.

2) These same papers have given virtually no coverage to the hidden news
story which I mentioned in my post: that there was massive displacement of
"Anti's. The big question is  - Who displaced THEM?  WHy were we not told
about this?  Doesn't this suggest an entirely different picture?  E.g., that
the West engineered this situation, using the mystique derived from past
struggle and vicious suppression to cover provocation to justify invasion?

3) It seems clear the newspapers lied.  The latest evidence certainly
suggests the tales of death were ridiculously exaggerated. Could the
newspapers have lied without participation of some in the "liberation
movement?"  Maybe this movement has changed in character, and/or maybe some
people were suppressed whereas others had the ear of the press and/or maybe
some leaders have been "turned" and now do what they're told.  I've seen
leaders of movements lie through their teeth, against the interest of the
participants - even good movements can have shitty leaders, alas.  If the
facts indicate lying and that implicates the "liberation movement" (or some
leaders) should we dissolve the facts and elect another?

3) By the way, this 200,000 figure is a puzzle.  It' IS the same as the
number of people who were apparently killed during and after Indonesian
occupation.  ANOTHER 200,000?  I don't know on what basis anyone can speak of
such a figure today - we were also told bodies were everywhere but news
accounts now indicate virtually no evidence of death.  Also: does this figure
include tens of thousands of ANTI'S forced into West Timor -  by someone?
And again, since these people apparently do exist, who forced them out, why
was this news suppressed.  Most puzzling.

Jared